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Experience with Rinnai vent-free convectors?

KeithH | Posted in Mechanicals on

Anyone used or have experience with Rinnai Vent-Free Convectors?

I’m a little baffled by this product. No ducts, no vents, nearly 100% efficiency. Relatively low cost, relatively low total load. Am I missing something here? It seems like the low load crowd would be all over these, as a backup heating up for high efficiency minis if not as a main line unit.

http://www.rinnai.us/vent-free/products

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Keith,
    Although the manufacturers of this type of heater like to call their products "vent-free," many observers have noted that these products actually use your living room (and your lungs) as the vent. They're vented, all right -- into your home.

    GBA has published several articles on this type of heater, including these:

    Avoid Unvented Gas Heaters

    A Ventless Gas Fireplace Doesn’t Belong in Your Home

    It should be noted that Rinnai also sells vented space heaters -- the kind with a through-the-wall vent. I have written an article that notes that this type of simple space heater is often appropriate for a small, well insulated home: Heating a Tight, Well-Insulated House.

  2. kevin_in_denver | | #2

    Martin has nailed it.
    It is a complete mystery to me why a company with a great reputation would market this product

  3. KeithH | | #3

    Thanks guys. I figured that was the answer. I searched on GBA but too narrowly.

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